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Karolina Pliskova survives scare against Monica Puig

Monica Puig of Puerto Rico plays a backhand in her match against Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 10, 2017 in Indian Wells, California.(Photo: Harry How, Getty Images)

Monica Puig didn’t have the easiest draw at Indian Wells on Monday, when it was revealed that she would play No. 1 Serena Williams if Puig won her first round match Wednesday.

Then, when Williams withdrew from the event Tuesday, the draw was reshuffled and Puig was slated to meet third-seeded Karolina Pliskova in the second round.

For much of Friday evening inside Stadium 1 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, that shakeup didn’t seem to matter. Seven months removed from her gold medal winning performance at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Puig again looked dominant, and poised to upset Pliskova and make a deep run.

But the Puerto Rican couldn’t handle Pliskova’s powerful serve in the third set, and she ultimately squandered a 3-game lead. The result was Pliskova, not Puig, advancing to the third round of the BNP Paribas Open behind a modest 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 win.

“This was far from what my plan was to play and what my game should be,” Pliskova said. “Definitely happy to be through, and I don’t even think I deserve to win tonight.”

It was a bizarre ending to a match that began with Puig stringing together a near-perfect first set. She swung her racket with precision through the cool, dry air and was quick on her return game, firing one winner after another down the sidelines.

Puig took the first two games of the first set before the break, then won four of the next five to close out a dominant set in less than 30 minutes. No player had been as consistent as Pliskova during the early part of the 2017 season, yet Puig had her one set from elimination.

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Karolina Pliskova celebrates her win over Monica Puig in three sets during their second round match on Stadium 1 during the 2017 BNP Paribas on March 10, 2017.(Photo: Omar Ornelas/ The Desert Sun)

“She can play really good tennis,” Pliskova said of Puig. “She was hitting the ball really hard, and good and deep, so it was not about the pressure. I was ready and not nervous at all.”

Pliskova, 24, held on to force a third set, but Puig stole the momentum back, winning the first two games and saving break point with a forehand slice down the sideline. She then won another game to hold a 3-0 lead and appeared to be headed to the next round with a monumental upset.

But to her credit, Pliskova never lost hope. She knew if she could get her serve going, that Puig may begin to struggle with the ball flying all over the court. With what felt like the flip of a switch, Pliskova somehow managed to recover early in the break and that dominant serve indeed proved to be unstoppable. Puig was powerless to stop it, and Pliskova quickly reeled off six of the next seven games to advance.

“I have the power that when it’s the third set I can still play better than I was those first two sets,” Pliskova explained. “This is my biggest weapon after my serve, the mental side.”

No player in the world has been on fire like Pliskova has the early part of this season. She won 15 of 16 matches to start the year before losing in the first round in Dubai just prior to Indian Wells. She’s 16 of 18 overall, including titles in Brisbane and Doha.

Karolina Pliskova will play 29th seeded Irina-Camelia Begu in the third round Sunday, and won’t see another player inside the top 10 until at least the semifinals.

Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic watches her backhand win over Monica Puig of Puerto Rico at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 10, 2017 in Indian Wells, California.(Photo: Harry How, Getty Images)

She was nearly finished Friday, but she believed. Now she’s moving on with a level of confidence that will be dangerous for her opponents.

“I think my biggest weapon is that I can stay calm in those moments when the others are panicking,” she said, “and I can even play the best shots in those moments.”